OMNISPORT

Marc Marquez is confident Jorge Lorenzo will have a smooth transition from Ducati to Repsol Honda when he joins the team next season.

Lorenzo's surprise switch was announced last week, the three-time MotoGP world champion agreeing a two-year deal to ride alongside long-time rival Marquez. Since making his move from Yamaha to Ducati in 2017, Lorenzo has struggled to reach previous heights and only claimed his first race win for the manufacturer in Mugello this month.

But Marquez thinks his compatriot will have no such problems adapting to the Honda bike, and expects him to be quick straight away.

"The Honda is a bike that is completely different compared to the Yamaha, but it is closer to the Ducati," said the defending champion, as quoted by Autosport. "This will help a little bit, he's coming from Ducati. In the end, he's a good rider. A good rider might need one race, one day, one year. You never know. But for sure he will arrive and he will be fast."

And Marquez is looking forward to the competition Lorenzo will bring once they line-up on the same team.

"I already said before the announcement inside the team that the most important thing is to have a strong teammate because this will be better for the level of the team," he added. "It's important that it's a rider with a lot of experience who can give a lot of information for the team. Honda did a really good job."